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Looking for the perfect evening to kick off your Rugby Sevens weekend? Look no further, as the Britcham and KPMG Rugby Dinner is back again!
Expect lots of laughs, food, and rugby banter, all washed down with plenty of beer in the company of some rugby legends. Hear from rugby legends, Simon Shaw, Tom Shanklin and Andrew Mehrtens to share their views on rugby around the globe, the 6 Nations tournament happening now and what to expect in the upcoming Rugby World Cup in Japan. We're delighted to welcome the CEO of Hong Kong Rugby Union, Robbie McRobbie to moderate the panel.
In addition, we welcome Claudia MacDonald from Wasps & the England women’s team.
We will also be raising money for SoCo and Hong Kong Rugby Union Community Foundation (HKRUCF), through a live and silent auction. Bring your friends, partners and colleagues for one of the highlights of the Chamber event calendar - this year followed by the Ching Ming public holiday, there’s really no excuse to miss it!
About the speakers
Simon Shaw began his rugby career for Bristol at only 17, having moved to England with his family from Nairobi in Kenya. His early years in the sport saw him gain honours for England at U-18, U-19 Colts, Students and U-21s before he was called up to the full squad for the 1995 World Cup.
Shaw had a mixed 2003-04 season as he was awarded the Premiership Player of the Year award but became only the third England player to be sent off after kneeing All Black Keith Robinson during the second test in Auckland.
While Shaw seemed to be held back by indifference to his talent at international level he was reaping the rewards of Wasps' growth into a world class side. Since joining them in 1997 he has won the Premiership on four occasions, two Heineken Cups and the Pilkington Cup.
Tom Shanklin made his Wales debut against Japan in 2001, while playing his club rugby with Saracens. He became a dependable presence in the Wales midfield, with an excellent scoring record at both international and domestic level.
He held dual residency with both Wales and England, having been born in Harrow, but chose to follow his father, Jim, into a Wales shirt. He played his first top-level rugby for London Welsh before joining Saracens in 1999. Shanklin played for the London side for four seasons before becoming one of Cardiff Blues' first signings in 2003.
He was by this point an established international, having made his Six Nations debut against France in 2002. He was selected by Steve Hansen for the 2003 Rugby World Cup in Australia, playing in Pool games against Tonga and New Zealand, notching a try in the latter.
His first taste of genuine success at international level came in the 2005 Six Nations when, in tandem with Gavin Henson, he formed arguably the best centre partnership in Europe as Wales won their first Grand Slam in nearly 30 years.
Andrew Mehrtens played his final match for Harlequins on the final day of the 2006–07 season which fell on his birthday, scoring 24 points in a victory over the Sale Sharks, after which supporters and teammates celebrated his birthday and bid farewell to him after the game ended.
On 23 May 2007, Andrew joined French Pro D2 team Toulon, who went on to win the league title that season and gain promotion to the Top 14. For the 2008–2009 season, Andrew signed to play with French Pro D2 team Racing Métro 92. After two years in Paris, which included the 2009 Pro D2 championship and a Top 14 playoff appearance in 2010 (which also secured Racing a place in the 2010–11 Heineken Cup), his contract was not renewed. He moved to the Fédérale 1 (third-division) side Béziers, signing a three-year deal with the club.
Post rugby, Andrew was the Coach of Beziers from 2010 to 2012 and then joined the Waratahs as the kicking coach in 2014. Andrew has also worked in the financial services industry since 2013 and is a regular TV commentator and pundits for Fox Sports, Sky Sports NZ, BBC and TV3 NZ.
Durham University Economics graduate Claudia Macdonald has enjoyed a meteoric rise through the rugby ranks since first picking up a ball aged 19.
Two years later, Claudia went on to captain Durham University Women’s Rugby Football Club 1st XV and 1st sevens sides for the season 2017-18, joining Tyrrells Premier 15s side Darlington Mowden Park Sharks to make her debut in September 2017. And while she started in the back line, she now plays at scrum-half.
Having moved to Wasps FC Ladies for the 2018-19 season, Claudia was awarded an England EPS agreement in January 2019. She came off the bench in all three of England’s 2018 Quilter Internationals.
About the moderator
Robbie McRobbie joined the Hong Kong Rugby Union in 2003 as the Community Rugby Manager and assumed the role of CEO in May 2017.
Prior to the Union, he spent 11 years in the Hong Kong Police Force, where he served in a number of roles including Police Tactical Unit Instructor, Assistant Manager of the Police Officers' Club and presenter of the "Police Report" TV show.
He has an MA from Oxford in History and completed a PGC in Sports & Recreation Management at HKU Space in 2001. He represented Hong Kong at "A" level at both 15s and 7s and is a two-time winner of the Police RFC "Raz Erasmus Award".
He is Director of a local charity, Operation Breakthrough, which uses sport as a medium to help at-risk local youngsters. He also finds time to write an opinion column for the South China Morning Post, ‘Crouch, touch ... engage.’
About the charity
Society for Community Organisation (SoCO) is a human rights pioneer in Hong Kong. SoCO firmly believes that everyone should be entitled to equal rights. Equal opportunity for participation and fair distribution of social resources is the foundation of human rights. In the face of the widening disparity between the rich and the poor, and the increasingly restrictive political arena, we stand firm in our crusade to establish an equal society and to build a strong power base for the people. We are motivated by a common dream, and that is: "Let us work hand in hand and shoulder to shoulder to build a caring, equal and just society".
Dress code: your favourite rugby shirt!
Ticket price includes dinner and drinks all night. Tickets cannot be refunded if purchased after the cancellation date of Friday 15 March.
Credit card payment will not be available for this event.
Please note the use of mobile phones at the Hong Kong Football Club is prohibited.
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